"Since when?" I asked, tears falling down my face. I was still in shock.

"Since you went missing." He hid his eyes beneath his dark brown hair. "She needed someone to entertain her and please her." An all-to-dark grin was heard in his voice.

"Oh, Nam!" I fell unto my knees. I hid my face, my sobs getting louder. How could Mother? I always knew she'd fancied Nam ever since he'd become a man. But she hasn't done that because she liked him. She did it because she knew he was precious to me. Mother and her vicious games. Sometimes I really wonder if she is really my mother. That time I did wonder. Poor Nam, I just didn't know how to help him.

"There, there." He pated my head, took my hands off my face and wiped the tears that were flowing. "I survived. I'm here now. She won't catch me."

I threw myself to his arms. I sobbed even harder. He comforted me by stroking my back. As soon as I felt calm enough I whispered to him: "She'll never lay her hands on you, nor her eyes, ever again. I promise you that." I backed off him and buttoned his shirt. "I'm sorry for your shirt. Do you have one you can change into?"

He wiped the track of tears. "I have in my bedroom."

I was about to offer to go with him, but I remember what Mother has done. I didn't think he'd want a woman in his bedroom that soon. "I'll wait for you here."

His expression was unreadable. Strange, normally Nam was such an easy person for me to read. I guess he changed during these four months. He left me and headed to his room. A maid passed by.

"You mind telling me where I can heat water?" I asked her.

"Why, miss? Is there anything you need?" The maid kindly wanted to know.

"I'd love a tea, if you please." I looked at the door Dark Fur had gone through the moment we got to the kitchen. She sure needed time to eat.

Moments later I was holding the tea cup, trying to heat my hands. I noticed I was still trembling. Dark Fur joined me.

*Where's your friend, Nam?* It seemed as if she knew very well what had happened. I pretended I didn't notice.

"He went to change his shirt. It got dirty when I let the tray fall." I simply said. I drank a sip of tea. It burned my tongue, but I couldn't bring myself to care. Mother would pay for what she'd done. She'd-

"Are you alright, Desdemona?"

I looked up to find Gwen's gray eyes worried. Did I look that bad? If it was as bad as I felt, I probably wouldn't want to meet a mirror now; I'd be scared. The maid seemed to be gone. Gwen had seated across me, in the same chair Nam had been just moments ago. Oh, Nam, why did you have to meet me and Mother? Gwen was waiting for an answer I didn't know if I wanted to give.

"Just a bit tired and cold." I lied smiling. "Do I look that bad?"

"You always do, but now it's even worse. Not fit for my exercise? It's just not meant for weaklings." Adrian entered the kitchen. He chuckled. "Just kidding. Now serious, are you really alright? Maybe it is better that you take it easy tomorrow. It'll be just two thirds of what we did today."

He was truly insane! Two thirds?! Who was he trying to kill? I laughed. He was just Adrian and there's nothing to complain about, or else he'd make you exercise to death.

"There's no way out of exercise. He's pretty much scary sometimes, so you better do what you're told." Gwen said.

I laughed even harder. "Thank you."

"For what?" Gwen asked.

"You're welcome." Adrian said. He was about to open a drawer, when suddenly the chubby housekeeper came and scolded him.

"Master Adrian would you please leave the kitchen?"

He did a well-behaved-boy pose. "I didn't do anything wrong." He protested.

"Yet. Do you want me to remind you all the trouble you caused in this kitchen, Master Adrian?" Her eyes were sharp; she didn't let him manipulate her with his pose.

"Alright, I leave." He said to the housekeeper. Then turned to me. "You better get well soon, tomorrow there's training for you."

Gwen giggled. "He never knows when to quit. I think he joined the Exercise Church and is a missionary. Didn't convert anyone yet, though." She joked.

I laughed. "Oh, I wonder why."

*Oh, he has. Ask Jephraord.* Dark Fur intervened.

"Is he the one fond of Adrian?" I asked her.

"Who?" Gwen wanted to know.

"Jephraord. Dark Fur says Adrian has converted Jephraord."

*And turned him to a missionary.* She added.

"And turned him into a missionary." I repeated.

"Oh, has he? Poor Dark Fur. Well, it shouldn't be any surprise, because Jephraord is veeery fond of Adrian." Gwen giggled.

We both laughed. Nam suddenly came in and sat beside me. He wore a black V-neck shirt, I loved to see him in.